A Few Seconds
by Drop And Die
Summary: OxAxJ songfic.  Aelita and Jeremie learn that a small span of time can lead to large mistakes they both regret.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - I do not own Code Lyoko or the lyrics to Open Your Eyes by Dj Encore feat. Engelina.**

Creak. Creak. Creak.

The loose floorboard under the carpet squeaks every time Aelita's restless foot steps on it. She shakes her head wryly at the spectacle of her pacing uncontrollably at three in the morning. Her pink nightshirt and hair flutter in the breeze formed by her tight pirouettes when she reaches either the door or the window. Sleep evades her hyperactive mind as the usual concern crosses her thoughts: Jeremie.

She knew he liked her. The look in his eyes whenever he gazed at her proved that time and again. Yet…Jeremie made no move to express his feelings. A sigh of frustration escapes her lips and she spins towards the door again. At first she decided to give his shyness time to thaw; that was over four months ago. Her patience was wearing thin like the rubber on an old tire. It would snap sooner or later.

Another creak emanates from the floor and Aelita stops in the middle of her room. _I might have to take matters into my own hands._ She didn't know what else to do though; Aelita had done most everything to express her love short of kissing him outright. He continued with his life oblivious to all the hints and tricks and hugs. Aelita loves him for now but her human form came with one major joy and flaw: change. Who knows how long it would last?

_You can't keep me holding on  
I've given you some time  
I can't make you come along if you don't share your mind  
Every time you close your eyes I know you feel the same  
Everything you try to fight is drowning in the rain  
_

Aelita morosely collapses on her bed and chuckles sardonically at all the failed attempts to get Jeremie's heart out of its self imposed prison. Even asking Ulrich and Odd to prod him in the right direction seemed to have no effect. At times like these doubt fills her and spreads its venomous tendrils around her heart. The pinkette's certainty in the matters of love crumbles away. Logic just didn't work for her 100% of the time anymore. The defect and strength of humankind resides in emotion; those powerful feelings which sweep her off her feet.

_I have to stop this train of thought. I know he likes me._ Aelita pushes the doubt as far away from her mind as she can but it hovers at the back of her consciousness. Content to wait until the next chance to strike at her, the viper of uncertainty coils into sleep and leaves Aelita with a modicum of peace. Shelving the brainstorming on new ideas to try on him for tomorrow, the troubled girl wraps herself in her covers and drifts into oblivion. A loud clatter quickly ruins her dreams. Aelita snaps awake with a groan and smashes her alarm clock off the desk with a fist. Only four hours of sleep was going to turn this into a long day indeed. _How did Jeremie do this for a year?_

Aelita trudges zombie-like out the door and through the quiet halls to the group restrooms. At least her habit of morning showers allows for a chance to wake up under a stream of water. Her eyes still felt grainy and tired but at least she could think a coherent thought. _I am such a typical teenager._ Finally feeling somewhat ready for what Monday could bring, Aelita shoulders her backpack and walks to the cafeteria with the usual rising spirits at seeing Jeremie again.

_What does it take to open your eyes  
Don't let it fade  
You got to let the sunshine through the rain  
Open your eyes don't make me wait  
You got to let the sunshine through the rain_

A surprised Aelita sits down at the diminished group table and raises an eyebrow at Yumi. "Where's Jeremie?" she asks. Ulrich and Odd break out of their conversation to point at the far end of the room.

"He's down there talking with the new student." Yumi replies quietly. Aelita turns to stare at Jeremie laughing at something a very pretty brunette said to him before brushing the girl's shoulder with a hand. Something ugly rises in her and her hands clench into fists. Yumi winces at the flash in her friend's stormy green eyes. Odd and Ulrich pale slightly and fervently thank whatever being watched over the world that they weren't Jeremie at this point in time. "I'm sure it's nothing." Yumi begins soothingly but her words fall on deaf ears.

Aelita searches for some stray bit of calm but finds absolutely nothing except anger tinted with jealousy. Okay, she shouldn't lie to herself. It was jealousy tinted with anger. The storm of emotions threatens to block out her sanity for the moment. Breathing heavily, Aelita stands up and stalks out of the cafeteria. _What is he doing? I can't believe this._ Yumi half-rises as if to follow her out but decides against it. The pinkette needed time to cool down. Odd and Ulrich share concerned glances and silently promise to figure out what was going on with Jeremie. They knew as well as Aelita did that he loved her.

_Tell me why you turn away, whenever I believe  
Finally you come to say I'm everything you need  
Every time you close your eyes I know you feel the same  
Everything you try to fight is drowning in the rain  
_

Students take one look at the incoming pink firestorm and immediately move out of Aelita's way. She was going to miss class today. She also didn't care about that at all. The easy way Jeremie's hand had touched the girl replays over and over in her head. Aelita struggles once again to contain this savage feeling and manages to contain it slightly. _What is going on here…? This reaction is ridiculous._ Unfortunately her emotions didn't follow the beck and call of logic. Not really seeing the path in front of her, Aelita bumps into someone. "Hey, watch where you're going loser." Sissi snaps then notices the state Aelita was in. A remembered snippet of conversation from yesterday flashes across her mind and Sissi smiles.

The principal's daughter grabs a hold of Aelita's arm. "Wait. You're upset because of Jeremie aren't you?" Aelita looks at her curiously and nods. "So you just heard Kate has him all to herself?" Sissi asks with a fake pretense of concern. Aelita's trusting nature doesn't notice as she absorbs those words.

"Kate…?" Aelita stammers as the jealousy within her screams "Mine!" at her rival. "What do you mean?" Sissi chuckles inside at this perfect opportunity to drive a wedge into the group that she mostly detests.

"I thought he would've told you and your friends. Jeremie has been going out with her for a while and she just transferred to this school." Sissi replies and smirks at the betrayed look in the other girl's eyes. A glimmer of guilt springs up in her at this low blow. _Maybe I should lay off of her. Aelita believes me I think._ Sissi opens her mouth but Aelita whirls and runs across the courtyard towards the dorms. The wrecker of Aelita's dreams closes her mouth and follows the one idea in her head. She takes off towards the cafeteria and the group that needs to know what she did.

Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd look up from their whispered conversation at a strangely agitated Sissi. "What do you want?" Ulrich asks. Sissi nervously fiddles with her hair and looks down at the floor before replying.

"I need to tell you that…I spun a little story concerning Kate and Jeremie to Aelita and she believed me." Sissi mutters in shame. The Lyoko warriors gasp in shock and harden their gazes at her.

"You did what? You know as well as we do that she has a thing for him. And that she would believe even you…" Yumi trails off in disgust at the fine mess this Monday was turning into. Ulrich buries his face in his hands while Odd smacks his fist against the table.

_What does it take to open your eyes  
Don't let it fade  
You got to let the sunshine through the rain  
Open your eyes don't make me wait  
You got to let the sunshine through the rain_

"So…what do we do?" Sissi asks quietly. Yumi shakes her head and stands up.

"You've done enough. I will admit you did the respectful thing by trying to help but we'll go find Aelita." Ulrich replies acidly. Sissi walks away while the others try to figure out what to do.

"Odd, go look for her in the dorms. I'll scout out the rest of the school and the factory. She might have headed back to Lyoko. Ulrich, tell Jeremie about this and where we're all headed. Try to figure out what Kate has to do with this as well." Yumi commands. The three nod and break apart in different directions.

Aelita curls into a ball on her bed and tries to cry out the pain and betrayal within. Skittering along her cheeks and darkening the sheets, the tears are her witnesses to the hurt and the conduits of her agony. So the little snake in the back of her mind had been right. The reason he never spoke of his feelings was because he didn't have any for her. _How can love hurt this much…?_ To her inexperience with emotions this ravaging of her inner self felt like the end of the world.

The door quietly opens and she looks up at Odd with a tear-streaked face. "Aelita. We'll figure this out alright?" Odd murmurs. He sits on the edge of the bed and waits for her to gather the shattered fragments of her composure into something resembling normalcy. She sniffles and leans against the wall while looking at him.

"Figure what out? I think that's about all I need to know." Aelita responds then thinks of her current situation. Here was someone who hadn't crushed her completely. Here was someone who was there for her whenever she needed some solace. Here was Odd. Out of her anger and pain Aelita acts almost on instinct. She needs something to distract her and hold her. Now that it couldn't be Jeremie…

_I'm not asking of you, to give yourself away  
I just want you to hear the words I say  
It's only a matter of time  
It's only a matter of time  
It's only a matter of time  
It's only a matter of time_

Aelita wraps her arms around Odd and sits there while crying. This friend of hers was her favorite person in the world right now. Using his shirt as a tissue, Aelita dampens the purple fabric with plenty of moisture. Odd starts to open his mouth and explain that Sissi had lied to her and that it was probably nothing when Aelita leans in and presses her mouth to his.

"So what was that all about?" Jeremie asks Ulrich on the way to Aelita's room. "Kate was a bit shocked by your behavior."

"Speaking of behavior, what's with Kate?" Ulrich retorts. Jeremie rolls his eyes and looks at his friend.

"She's an old family friend who is scoping out the school for a day. Why? Oh…" Jeremie slaps himself in the forehead for how it must have looked. "That was stupid for not mentioning it to you guys." A suspicion glimmers in his mind. "What happened with Aelita?" he asks with concern.

Ulrich sighs. "Let's put it this way. She believed something Sissi told her about Kate and you." Anger flashes in Jeremie's eyes before regret follows.

"If I would have told her how I feel by now this would not have happened…" Jeremie shakes his head as he puts a hand on Aelita's door, opens it, and stares at the one thing he would have never expected.

Aelita immediately pulls away and wonders what the hell she is thinking. At least the kiss showed her who she truly loves. _That was nothing compared to what I imagine a kiss by Jeremie would feel like._ She shakes her head and catches a glimpse of a blue shirt standing in the door before footsteps echo down the hall. _Oh shit._ _And I thought this day couldn't get any worse._ Aelita buries her face in her hands as Odd hastily makes an exit past an accusing Ulrich.

_What does it take to open your eyes  
Don't let it fade  
You got to let the sunshine through the rain  
Open your eyes don't make me wait  
You got to let the sunshine through the rain_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer - I don't own either Code Lyoko or the lyrics to Be With You by Tara Lowe.**

Aelita stares at the crystalline tear flowing down the side of her left hand. Today better be a dream; she will wake up soon. Her tightly knit group of friends shattered apart, her love betrayed by a foolish mistake. When she gazed into those blue eyes watching from the doorway and saw not love but pain Aelita almost cried out. Her jealousy was gone; she knew now that the emotion and Sissi were far more trouble than they were worth. In a moment of weakness Aelita had given in to the fears whispering in her mind. Never again.

_Not that it matters at this point._ The thought made Aelita flinch. In life takebacks don't exist. Still, this situation remains salvageable. She just had to visit Jeremie and stare into those eyes before letting it all out. Aelita rubs her eyes with the back of her hands and opens them with a fresh resolve. Mistakes were part of being human; Jeremie would understand that. Then again…hadn't she just demonstrated how emotions so easily overrode reason?

Aelita hunts for the fortitude hiding inside of her but can't find it. Outside of this room were two situations that she might be able to fix: Jeremie's heart and Odd's loss of trust from his only friends. The second would be tricky; the first doubly so.

_When I think of you  
I cry tears from my heart  
In all my dreams of you  
I see our love fall apart  
_

Aelita sniffles a little and hears the sound of footsteps down the hall. Yumi pokes her head around the door and gasps at how broken Aelita looks. She hadn't expected the girl to be in good shape or smiling but even those innocent green eyes lack any hope. Tear-stained cheeks and haunted eyes return Yumi's gaze. "Aelita…" Yumi trails off while searching for something to say that wouldn't sound completely useless.

"Yumi. I'm pretty sure I've screwed up pretty badly right now with both Jeremie and Odd. I swear I didn't mean to… " Aelita mumbles. Yumi sits next to her and cradles the poor girl's head on her shoulder. Aelita relishes the comfort and struggles to figure out how exactly she could fix this fine mess. "What do I do now?"

Yumi ponders that seemingly innocent question. "Well as far as Odd is concerned there's really no problem. Jeremie's going to be the conflict. If you get him to listen perhaps it will work out just fine." Aelita nods and sits up. Yumi smiles at the spark of hope shining in the emerald eyes. _That's our Aelita back. _

_I know I've made mistakes  
And I did things that can't be done  
I wanna make it up to you  
If you just say that I'm the one_

"What the hell was that about Odd? What could you possibly be thinking? Kissing Aelita? You're crazy!" Ulrich whispers furiously in class. The teacher drones on while Odd turns to his friend and decides to tell the plain unvarnished truth.

"She kissed me, not the other way around. I immediately pulled back but as you saw it was a bit too late by then. Don't blame Aelita either; she probably feels enough anguish as it is." Odd replies. Ulrich thinks about it and hears the ring of truth in his friend's words.

"Alright. Today has been one giant misunderstanding so far." Ulrich says and steals a glance at Jeremie's empty seat. "Unfortunately the only one who doesn't know the entire story is also the one who needs to hear it. Where would he go right now…?" The samurai ponders all the places that their hurting friend would go. As far as Jeremie knows his heart is broken; the only one who could heal it is Aelita. The obvious conclusion connects in the boy's mind with a blaze of light. "That's it! I guarantee you he fled to the factory." Odd nods his agreement and gives a tentative smile towards his friend. Ulrich returns it with a grin.

"Excuse us. Can we go to the infirmary? We're not feeling too well." Odd pipes up. The teacher sighs with exasperation and motions for them to leave. The two grab their backpacks and rush out the room towards the sewer grate hidden in the woods.

_When I think of you  
You know what I like  
What I like to do  
You know what I want  
I just wanna be with you_

Aelita stands up from the bed and checks the mirror on the wall. An unrecognizable girl stares back and the pinkette winces. Even her hair somehow messed itself up beyond repair while she cried. The sudden rush of blood in her head reminds Aelita of the pain distilling itself through her veins with every beat of her heart. Without Jeremie there wasn't a point to this existence on Earth. She'd rather revert to her imprisonment on Lyoko. There at least the feeling of his touch wouldn't haunt her. Only the memories would.

Yumi's hand on her shoulder shakes Aelita out of her reverie. It was time to find Jeremie and fix this unholy mess. "Aelita, where would he be though?" A soft smile grows on the pink haired girl's face as an old and decrepit house flashes through her mind.

"The Hermitage of course." Aelita replies and heads out the door. Yumi follows with a confused look.

"Why there?" Yumi asks while struggling to catch up with an almost jogging Aelita.

"Right now he feels betrayed by me. Where else would he go to feel the closest he possibly can to me besides there? The factory is no good; Lyoko never was my home." Aelita replies. Yumi opens her mouth to voice another question.

"Why would he want to feel close to you right now?" she asks. Aelita stops and turns to look at Yumi with sadness writ deep on her face.

"Because he loves me. I always doubted that he did but after today there is no room for uncertainty. My mistake has taught me that much." The conversation fades into a grim silence after Aelita's statement. The two evade any teacher's eyes and set up a brisk walk towards the forest and the grieving teenager within.

_You know what I feel  
What I feel for you  
But do you feel the same way too  
You know what I want  
What I want to do  
I just wanna be with you_

"Your brilliant guess missed the mark by quite a bit." Odd complains after scouring the factory for any sign of Jeremie. Ulrich rubs his neck in embarrassment and looks around.

"Well…we can head back and try to find the girls." Ulrich suggests. Odd shrugs his agreement and the two head back towards school. Silence lays heavy over both of them; they hated seeing their friends in the distress that envelops them. Soon their walk becomes a run as worry overruns their minds. They couldn't lose two good friends in the same day to one mistake.

"Wait! What about the Hermitage?" Odd pants. Ulrich stops and raises an eyebrow. "It makes sense. Where else could he go alone that has something to do with Aelita?" Ulrich cheers with delight and drags Odd towards the building in question.

Aelita and Yumi open the rusty gate and look upon the seemingly undisturbed house. "You sure he's there?" Yumi whispers.

"Yes. I have to go in alone; my mistake is my responsibility." Aelita replies before giving Yumi a hug. "Thanks so much." She starts down the rock path to the door. Yumi has one final question occur to her and blurts it out before thinking about it.

"What if he doesn't accept your apology?" Aelita stops in her tracks. The idea had honestly never occurred to her once she realized he really loved her. But it was possible. A wry smile flickers across her face. _Emotions are much stronger than logic. Wouldn't I know that quite well?_ She ponders the idea and really has no idea how she would respond. If he rejects her then there exists no reason to care anymore. The despair that threatens to overwhelm her probably would swallow her if Aelita can't reclaim his love.

_If I can't be with you  
I cry tears from my heart  
Don't know what I should do  
When our love would fall apart  
_

Aelita cautiously opens the door and passes through into the dusty and destroyed hallway. As usual memories flit out to her from every corner and crevice. She stops amid a twinkling cloud of floating dirt and wonders which room his misery occupies. A low note of discord reaches her ears and a wistful smile passes on her face. The sound had originated upstairs. She calmly walks up the creaking stairs. Jeremie knew the house contained another occupant besides him by now. _He knows it's me._

Jeremie stares out the window at the light playing amongst the trees and grass. Such a pretty scene yet he couldn't enjoy it. He had waited too long to tell her how he felt; now he paid the price. A fist smashes onto the windowsill as another surge of anger rips through his body from his beating heart. His emotions act like quicksilver, never remaining in the same form for longer than a few seconds. The anger fades and grief replaces it.

The scene in her room plays over and over; an endless loop similar to one of Odd's dance videos. Yet another surge of anger rises up in him but crashes into despair an instant later. This roller coaster of emotions was taking him for a disturbing ride. No matter how hard he tries the anger isn't directed at anyone but himself. He had no one else to blame after all. Four months of shyness cost him everything.

Here at least could some form of peace exist. Every room spoke to him in a whisper of her. Every mote of dust floating in the sunlight reminded him of the twinkle in her eyes. Those brief moments when he thought of her without pain were the ones when Jeremie could be happy. Otherwise happiness recedes across a dark and desolate ocean of roiling agony. A sound breaks through his melancholy; so she had decided to come and speak the truth to him after all. She would find him.

_I know I've made mistakes  
And I did things that can't be done  
I wanna make it up to you  
If you just say that I'm the one  
When I think of you  
_

Aelita steps into the room and looks at Jeremie. She stands framed in the doorway and stares into those glacial eyes with longing. "Jeremie." escapes her lips with a sigh. He closes his eyes at the sound of his name on her lips.

"Aelita. Why did you come here?" Jeremie asks. A sudden surge of rage breaks through his dark isolation and he shakes with the emotion. This time it was directed at someone besides himself. Fury rages in the body of one who had never known its seductive power. Aelita notices the sudden change in his demeanor and takes an involuntary step back. He opens his eyes and she gasps at the cold fire blazing in his eyes. _I was right. My mistake hurt him too much._ _I have to try anyway._

_You know what I like  
What I like to do  
You know what I want  
I just wanna be with you_

"I'm here to apologize. I didn't know what I was thinking. You're the one I've always wanted and always will. I've learned that today. Jeremie…words cannot describe how grateful I am to you for everything. But I still need something from you: love. Here's your chance to admit your feelings after all this time. What you feel is what I feel for you. Can you forgive me?" Aelita trails off and a slight burden lifts off her heart as the words hang in the air. She had finally just came right out and said it.

Half of Jeremie rejoices at those words; the other half sneers in derision. Anger and love battle each other inside him for dominancy. Logically he knew his shyness hurt and confused her. Aelita was only human now after all with less experience than most people at the ins and outs of life in general and relationships specifically. Unfortunately logic didn't partake of his thinking process right now. All the rational thought struggles to break through the film of rampant emotions covering his consciousness. Lost in the debate with himself, Jeremie doesn't notice the word that falls out of his mouth with chilling finality until the sound of his steely voice echoes into his mind. "No." Jeremie cries out silently in his mind and wishes he could take it back. He didn't mean it yet the rejection had slipped out. Aelita's emerald eyes widen in shock and the gleam of light behind them withers away. Stifling a sob, she runs out the door in a blind panic. Jeremie sinks to his knees and feels the anger shatter before an overwhelming tidal wave of grief.

_You know what I feel  
What I feel for you  
But do you feel the same way too  
You know what I want  
What I want to do  
I just wanna be with you_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer - **I do not own Code Lyoko or the lyrics to Let U Go by ATB.

Yumi gazed at the fluffy clouds passing nonchalantly in the sky above. She bites her fingernail while worrying for her friends inside the crumbling building. Noticing that she gouged a slight groove in her index fingernail, Yumi snaps her finger out of her mouth. _Hope everything's getting worked out between those two. _As if her thought summoned them, the door slaps open with a bang and Aelita runs out. The Japanese girl's answering smile fades into a worried frown as the pink haired teen passes directly by her without a word. A miniscule tear catches the sunlight for a second before falling to the ground.

"Aelita!" Yumi calls as the distant figure flees into the woods. Her yell falls on deaf ears as the grief-stricken girl pushes through the tangled bramble towards an unknown destination. Odd and Ulrich run to the gate from another direction just as Yumi prepares to hunt down Aelita.

"What's going on?" Odd asks in between deep gulps of air. Ulrich looks at Yumi's saddened expression and gasps. He knows something went horribly wrong. Yumi nods in response to Ulrich's unspoken question while Odd looks between them in annoyance.

"You two belong together just as much as the Einsteins do you know. Now tell me what that little exchange meant?" Odd asks. The other two wince and sigh. Yumi opens her mouth to explain but Ulrich beats her to it.

"It looks like something didn't go right with their little meeting." Ulrich says. Odd rolls his eyes at their communication and gestures for Yumi to continue with the full story. She glances at the building in trepidation and turns back towards the two waiting for an explanation.

"I was standing out here and Aelita burst through the door. She ran right past me and into the woods; I have no clue where she went. I honestly don't think she even knows where she's going. We better go talk to Jeremie. If he did this to her I'm so going to kick his ass." Yumi says. The other two agree on the ass kicking part and head for the door flapping in the light wind.

_I've been to all the familiar places  
I've been running like a sentence  
Never begun  
I've been looking for a way to let you know_

Jeremie stares at the various grains in the floorboards beneath him without seeing them at all. The scene from a few minutes before replays over and over in his mind; the specter of what he said cannot give his brain any rest. There is no denying it. He had rejected her. A small smile crawls onto his face at one particular irony. _We're even now…_ Not that it mattered; if he didn't have her then nothing would be balanced again.

He chuckled under his breath at the day's events. Jealousy had blinded him of what her kiss had really meant. She wasn't out to hurt him. Rather, Aelita was confused by his thrice-blasted hesitancy at saying how he felt. Odd just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. _Why couldn't I see that before?_ Well the lesson drove itself into his skull now. Unfortunately for humanity they always correct problems after they cause them in the first place. People put up the stoplight after the kid gets struck by a car, not before.

Jeremie shakes his head. Aelita had taken responsibility for her action and tried to fix it. Now he just had to do the exact same thing. _Where would she go…?_ A few possibilities came to mind. Lyoko still existed; she could flee to the safety of her old stomping grounds. Perhaps to her room at Kadic. And a third possibility existed that Jeremie didn't want to think about: Aelita could be anywhere at all. He fled here since a portion of his mind knew Aelita would find him. Now the question remained: Did she want him to find her?

_I've got nothing left to fill to those spaces  
I've got nothing but a center coming undone  
I've been doing circles and it shows  
It shows._

The sound of footsteps racing up the creaky stairs snaps Jeremie out of his reverie. He stands up with a wince after being on his knees for a while and calmly waits for his friends. Yumi follows in first with the two boys behind him and sends Jeremie an accusing glare. Before she could say anything Jeremie holds up his hand.

"Yes, I screwed up. I spoke without thinking; I realized what happened earlier today was a fluke too late. Now could you help me find her and we'll solve this without any more misunderstandings?" Jeremie says. The other three look at him steadily and he returns their combined gaze with a steely determination. One by one his three friends nod. Finally an actual smile breaks out on his face and he walks towards them.

"Alright. I'm going to wander the city in case she really just ran off without any clue of where she's going. Yumi, check Kadic Academy. Ulrich and Odd, you scope out the factory and Lyoko." Odd groans and Ulrich sighs. Jeremie raises an eyebrow at their reaction.

"We were just there looking for you." Ulrich explains. Jeremie chuckles and shakes his head at their effort.

"In that case you know where it is." Jeremie jokes. "Off with you!" The Lyoko gang envisions their missing member and spreads to the places they've been assigned.

_I've been to all the familiar places  
I've been running like a sentence  
Never begun  
I've been looking for a way to let you know_

She didn't know how many times death glanced at her and moved on today. In her grief and panic Aelita ran through so many intersections amidst the honking horns and braying brakes. The forest remained a green blur in her mind; she had no idea where to run to as branches scratched her skin. Finally a modicum of calm reached her panicked mind and Aelita slowed down to notice that she was in the city proper. She stares in wonder at the crowds around her; they really hadn't done much visiting in the city during rush hour.

For a brief second she becomes the wide-eyed innocent girl who wants to learn everything about Earth. Then the anger and grief crash back onto her peaceful isolation. _How could he say no?_ She knew he loved her yet her apology wasn't enough for him? Anger tightens her face as she stalks along the sidewalk through the crowd. Not knowing what to do, Aelita takes a seat on one of the benches dotting the area. She curiously watches the people passing by and mulls her depressing situation.

_I've got nothing left to fill to those spaces  
I've got nothing but a center coming undone  
I've been doing circles and it shows  
It shows._

She would have to confront him eventually. There's no way life at Kadic could continue normally for her. If he really meant his rejection then Aelita didn't know how she could stand his presence. A spark of hope surges inside her. If he didn't mean it and that no simply came about from uncontrollable emotions then…Aelita shakes her head to stop the train of thought. _Even if he didn't mean it then he has to come to me. I'm not going to him. I fixed my mistake; he needs to fix his._

A quirky smile grows on her face as she looks around at the crowd. Jeremie had to find her in this…well that will be her little test. He's smart; Jeremie just needed to figure out where in the city she would run to. Aelita stands up with the smile still on her face and wanders towards the one thing in the city that gives her peace. The pink-haired girl is quickly swallowed by the ravenous crowd as the uncaring sun shines down onto the hive of humanity.

_Every cloud in the sky  
Every place that I hide  
Tell me that I,  
I was wrong to let u go_

An exhausted Jeremie slumps onto the very same bench Aelita sat on earlier. He looks around and wonders where she could have gone…running around randomly clearly didn't work. Yumi and Odd had called him and informed Jeremie that she was nowhere to be found at Kadic or on Lyoko. The memory of one of their trips into the city sparks in his mind. Aelita loved everything she saw but there were a few things she lingered by. First thing was the park a few blocks away; she spent twenty minutes playing in the water like a little kid. Jeremie smiles and builds a checklist in his head. _To the park!_

The boy runs into the fountain area and looks around for any sign of pink. A few t-shirts give him false alarms but Aelita doesn't seem to be amongst the crowd of children laughing in the spray. A smile passes across his face as he recalls how her happy laughter had filled him with elation last time they were here. There was something about water that enchanted her. As a matter of fact every spot that she found special involved water. _That's it! Just process of elimination now._

Jeremie looks at the kids and is struck with a sudden desire to be carefree for a couple minutes. A weight lifts from his shoulders as he rolls into the small puddles of liquid around the fountain. Utterly soaked, he stands up chuckling and places his hand directly onto the main pillar. The water flowed down the walls and onto his hand. He closes his eyes to relish the feeling of the cool water before shaking his hand and moving onto the next location.

_Every sound that I hear  
Every thought that I fear  
Tell me that I,  
I was wrong  
I was wrong to let u go_

Hastily passing through security, Jeremie enters the aquarium and ignores the strange looks he gets for being soaked. The place was huge but Aelita spent half of her time watching the small exhibit on jellyfish in the far back. He had stood with her and watched the strange bell-shaped creatures undulate through the water. Jeremie walks through the crowds and finds the quieter section where the jellyfish reside. Standing in front of the exhibit in the exact same spot as before, Jeremie ponders the gossamer beings behind that pane of glass.

_Wonder why she loves water so much._ Theories pop through his head like corn kernels in a microwave. Each one is subsequently weirder than the first. Making a mental note to ask her, the boy contemplates his next location. Clearly this wasn't the right place. An off the wall idea strikes him and Jeremie chuckles at the audacity of it. _Has she set this up like a scavenger hunt? I wouldn't be surprised._ Aelita making a little test for him didn't shock him at all. Just like any other challenge he would overcome it and claim the reward. Although the reward in this case went to her: his apology and heart.

Jeremie bows to the jellyfish and bids them adieu. One jellyfish raises its tentacles as if to return the goodbye. Laughing at his antics, the boy walks out of the aquarium with a light heart. So far he was quite enjoying himself and remembering all the fun times with Aelita. _Maybe that's her objective._ _Wow, the one I love really is a good schemer._ Shrugging at the thought, he whistles and lets the sunlight caress him on the way to the next location.

_It's the little things that make me crazy  
Like the thought of someone touching your skin  
I can see you everywhere I go_

Jeremie traverses across the city to the river. He strolls along the edge of the placid water and takes in the sights and sounds all around him. A new appreciation for the breeze and simple beauty of the sky grows in him. He leans against the bridge railing and watches the small boats pass by with their love struck passengers. Growing on his youthful face, a wistful smile betrays his inner feelings to anyone who could see. An older man passing by smiles knowingly at Jeremie's lovesick face and walks away thinking of young love.

Shaking out of his little space out, Jeremie looks around at the vista surrounding him but no pink-haired girl greets his eyes. He mentally crosses off the river and takes a seat at a little café near him to think. _Where to next?_ A shadow of despair passes through his glacial eyes only to be immediately banished by yet another idea. _There was that small cavern she seemed interested about…_ Jeremie gets out of his chair with a renewed sense of purpose and jogs towards a small secluded area a kilometer away.

_You can be inside of a sea of faces  
It can be the rumor of your grin  
Swimming in a river as it flows  
it flows_

Aelita smiles with closed eyes at the gentle gurgling of the water as it passed over the slippery rocks. The feeling of spiky blades of grass under her combines with the feeling of sun on her face to produce a mellow mood in the teen. The pains of the day wash away and she feels refreshed. _He'll be here soon._ Never once had a shred of doubt flared in her on Jeremie's ability to find her. He probably went to the park first followed by the aquarium and river. Removing those possibilities only left here.

Even though her eyelids obscured her vision Aelita could imagine how the grotto looked. This wayward overhang held a natural stream that lost itself in a stretch of woods before the city reclaimed the land. In her mind's eye she saw every detail of the stream: the algae creeping along the rocks, the small ripples of water sinking into the ground, and the glint of sunlight reflected in the small pool's depths. A sense of impatience disturbs her calm; she wanted to see his face. _Soon._

_Every cloud in the sky  
Every place that I hide  
Tell me that I,  
I was wrong to let u go_

Jeremie silently crept from the bustle of the modern world into this small patch of nature. He didn't know what twists and turns of fate had left this place intact but thankfully it still existed. His breathing quickens as he finally sees her lying so peacefully on the ground with her eyes closed and an elfin smile on her face. _She is my angel._ Aelita had to know he was there; Jeremie could feel the connection between them. She utters no response as Jeremie lies down next to her and closes his eyes.

_Two can play at this game._ With a smirk, Jeremie relaxes and listens to the same thing Aelita focused on. But this time the sound of their breathing creates a rhythm of harmonies with the water and distant vehicles. Jeremie lets out a sigh of relief as Aelita grabs his hand and entwines her fingers with his. A squeeze of his fingers lets Aelita know he was here to apologize. Words were unnecessary.

_Every sound that I hear  
Every thought that I fear  
Tell me that I,  
I was wrong  
I was wrong to let u go_

Aelita relaxes with his comforting presence besides her. Somehow she knows what question he has been curious to ask her. "You want to know why I like water so much?" she whispers. Jeremie squeezes her hand in reply and she chuckles softly. _We communicate so easily. What happened today to screw that up?_ A soft orange light presses in on her eyelids as the sun peeks out from behind a cloud.

"Water reminds me of you." Aelita states simply. Jeremie sits up at that and looks down at her closed eyes with his brilliant sapphire ones. She opens hers and smiles beatifically up at Jeremie.

"How?" Jeremie asks as he loses himself in those eyes. _Never again will I leave her._

"You're resilient and adaptable, just like the liquid. You probably don't think you are but remember what you did with the materialization program? How many people can tinker with something for an entire year and still not give up in frustration? Although your love for me probably helped." Aelita smirks at his blushing nod. "Obviously it reminds me of your eyes. I find my breath taken away whenever I gaze into them." Jeremie laughs and stares at her. Just as she said, Aelita felt breathing become a trifle difficult. Jeremie marveled at how easy that was. He had found her and now he would never let her go.

_Let u go, Let u go, Let u go _

_Let u go, Let u go, Let u go_

_Let u go, Let u go, Let u go_

_Let u go, Let u go, Let u go_


End file.
